The ‘Bestest’ of 2017

2017 is about to end. The macro perspective can be dreary, but from a local point of view, we can’t complaint. It’s been a great year for The Wild Detectives!

Having better author events, more engaging and dynamic, was one of our key objectives for 2017. We’ve managed to bring great authors this year such as Chris Krauss, Morgan Parker, Amelia Gray, Jami Attenberg, Deb Olin Unferth, Melissa Febos… while keeping our events as a platform for local talent and community driven events (Rejected, Backyard Story Night, Shakespeare in the Bar…). We’ve expanded our Spanish program with the visits of top Spanish language writers. It was such an honor to have authors like Carlos Velázquez, Verónica Gerber Bicecci, Santiago Gamboa or Cristina Rivera Garza presenting their work in our bookstore. Our Spanish event will be a key part of our mission in 2018.

We’ve also consolidated our new co-curation system which has helped us not just to sell more books, but more importantly, to sell books that are relevant for our community.

Last November, Damien Jurado (and Jacob Metcalf) inaugurated our series of intimate shows in our backyard last November and we’re already planning to bring great artists to our spot.

What else… oh yeah, our friends at Dieste came up with the #LitBait campaign and we won 2 Lions at Cannes!

Ok, enough with blowing our horn, let’s go to the ‘bestest’ of 2017 according to us, our collaborators and friends. Again, a very heterogeneous list, which just speaks tonnes about how diverse our community is. It’s the first time we have a book in Spanish as the best book of the year and that makes us immensely happy (even better: a book written by a friend).

Just so you know, our list includes not just those books, albums and movies/TV shows released on 2017, but also those that have been read, listened to and watched this year regardless of the publication date. Kind of interesting, that 1984, which was published in 1949, made it to the top 3. Why would that be. Any idea?

Patricia GarcíaProfessor in Hispanic and Translation Studies at The University of Nottingham

Best Book:Desoriental – Negar Djavali

Best Album:The First Days of Spring – Noah and the Whale

Best Movie:The Salesman – Ashgar Farhadi

Veronica Gerber BicecciAuthor

Best Non-Fiction:Los condenados de la pantalla – Hito Steyerl

Best Poetry Collection:O reguero de hormigas – Yolanda Segura

Best Graphic Novel:My Favorite Thing Is Monsters – Emil Ferris

Best Movie:Homo Sapiens – Nicolaus Geyrhalter

Kendra GreeneAuthor

Best Book:Among the Living and the Dead – Inara VerzemnieksAnimals Strike Curious Poses – Elena PassarelloDon’t Come Back – Lina FerreiraAll the Agents and Saints – Stephanie Elizondo GriestThis is the Place (anthology)

Brittany GriffithsPoet and publisher at Spontaneous Afflatus

Best Book:Leaving the Atocha Station – Ben Lerner

Best Album:Masseduction – St. Vincent

Best Movie:Song to Song – Terrence Malick

Louisa HallAuthor

Best Book:The Kingdom – Emmanuel Carrere

Best Album:Heavn – Jamila WoodsPleasure – Feist

Brentney HamiltonDallas Morning News

Best Book:You Don’t Have to Say You Love Me – Sherman Alexie

Best Album:Lotta Sea Lice – Courtney Barnett & Kurt Vile

Best Movie:A Decade On – Ethan Newberry

Juan JaramilloAl Día Dallas

Best Book:4 3 2 1 – Paul Auster

Best Album:American Dream – LCD Soundsystem

Best Movie:The Florida Project – Sean Baker

Kathleen KentAuthor

Best Book:Sing, Unburied, Sing – Jasmyn Ward

Best Album:Fake Sugar – Beth Ditto

Best Movie:Wind River – Taylor Sheridan

Josh KumlerBar Politics

Best Book:Battles for Freedom: the Use and Abuse of American History – Eric Foner